


Darhkatom Countdown to Christmas

by Ally_Rose



Series: Darhkatom Countdown to Christmas [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-06 17:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 12,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16836880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ally_Rose/pseuds/Ally_Rose
Summary: Countdown to Christmas: A series of oneshots about Ray and Nora. Fluffy, sweet, feel-good stories that will hopefully make you smile as much as Nora does in these fics.





	1. 24-Hour Diner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darhkatom has quickly become my favorite TV couple and I couldn't resist. This will be a series of short stories about Ray helping Nora experience all of the things she missed growing up.

Ray waited anxiously in the lobby of the Time Bureau. He was excited to finally see Nora. After months of communicating solely through letters, she was free. The only condition was that she had to be with at least one member of the legends at all times. 

That wasn’t going to be a problem. Nora didn’t know, but Ray had plenty of plans for them. 

A door opened and Nora walked out wearing the clothes Ray had brought her from the Waverider. 

After exchanging shy pleasantries Ray led her outside saying, “I thought you might like a little fresh air and freedom before going back to the ship.” 

They got into the car Ray had rented, rolled down the windows, and started driving out of the city, heading north. 

It was silent for awhile as Ray drove and Nora watched the scenery pass outside. 

She saw the sign as they left DC and entered Maryland. Once they crossed again into Delaware, curiosity got the best of her and she had to ask, “So where exactly are we going?” 

“New Jersey. Diner capital of the world.” 

“And why exactly are we going there?” 

“Because you have never had disco fries,” Ray stated matter-of-factly. 

“Disco fries?” 

“French fries covered in gravy and cheese.” 

“That sounds repulsive,” Nora said, scrunching her nose in disgust. 

“They’re amazing, trust me.” 

“Ray, you realize it’s after midnight. Aren’t restaurants closed now?” 

“That’s another great part about diners. Open 24 hours!” As he said this he pulled into a parking lot. 

As they walked in, Ray held the door like a true gentleman. 

They ate their meal in peace, with Nora admitting disco fries “weren’t that bad. 

Ray smiled and started talking about all the other foods and places he wanted to show her. Nora found herself listening intently, feeling happy, excited, and hopeful. For the first time in forever, she was truly free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one was quite short but I'm kind of easing into writing and hopefully they'll get a tad longer in the future.


	2. 23 Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a peaceful walk with Ray back to the ship, Nora is met with a pleasant surprise on the Waverider.

While Nora had been in prison working on her repentance, Ray had a task of his own. He had to convince the legends who Nora really was. This was a rather slow process and took months, but in the end the whole team had changed their opinions. They realized that what she had done was not really her choice. She had been controlled by her father and Mallus. 

In the end they felt sorry for the way they had been treating her recently. They wanted to do something nice to make up for it and to show Nora that they accepted her. 

Coincidentally, Nora’s birthday fell right after she was freed from prison. It would be her first day on the Waverider after spending some time in 2018 with Ray. 

To say Nora was nervous to join the team on the ship was an understatement. Ray told her multiple times that they didn’t hate her and that they were sorry, but she just found that hard to believe. 

But when Ray said that they had to go back to the Waverider she didn’t fight him. She was starting to realize she would probably follow this man anywhere. These were feelings she didn’t understand, one’s she had never experienced before, but didn’t entirely dislike. 

Ray and Nora walked to the location they set as their pick-up spot. They weren’t in a rush and walked slowly in the brisk air. As they strolled, it started to flurry. It had been years since Nora had seen the snow. She paused and looked up, letting the flakes land on her face. It was refreshing and made her feel clean. Without realizing it a smile spread across her face. 

Ray watched her for a moment. Never before had he seen her so peaceful, so happy. After a few moments Nora looked back to Ray and caught him staring at her. She blushed, grateful that her cheeks were already pink from the cold snow. 

They continued walking and made it to the field just as Zari landed the jumpship. Nora’s nerves about seeing the team were coming back. The smile Zari gave her as she entered the ship seemed genuine and calmed her slightly. 

It was a short ride back to the Waverider. Nora didn’t know what to expect. Multiple scenarios ran through her mind, but she never would’ve guessed what was waiting for her. She followed Ray to the bridge and was greeted with all of the legends shouting “Surprise!” 

“Happy Birthday” Ray leaned down and whispered in her ear. 

She looked at him, her eyes full of questions. 

“We have cake. And gifts!” Zari said, running forward and handing a wrapped box to Nora. 

“I don’t understand,” Nora said. “It’s not my birthday.” 

“Yes, it is. It’s December 2nd. Remember yesterday I told you about the tradition to say, ‘rabbit rabbit’ on the first of the month for good luck?” 

“I remember. And I still think that’s ridiculous. But my birthday isn’t December 2nd. It’s on…uhm.” Nora paused. She couldn’t remember. When was her birthday? When was the last time she celebrated? 

She turned to Ray. He could see in her eyes how lost she was. He walked over to one of the screens and pulled up a few documents, finally finding the right one. 

He showed Nora her birth certificate. He was right. Suddenly a memory came back to her. She was with her parents. They had cupcakes after her favorite dinner, and her favorite present that year was a new paint set. It was her 12th birthday-the last one she had celebrated. 

She looked up at the room and saw everyone watching her. Then she spotted the large pile of presents, too many for the table to hold. 

“Are those all for me?” She asked. 

“Yup!” Nate replied. “23 in total. Ray was pretty adamant about that.” 

“23, that’s one for each birthday that I-” she trailed off. 

“Every birthday you missed,” Ray finished for her. 

She couldn’t believe the thought and planning he and the team had put in to this party. No one aside from her parents had ever celebrated her. And yet, this group of people who used to hate her wanted to make her happy. She couldn’t help her shy smile as she looked at each of the legends, all smiling back at her. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching Nora open her presents, laughing at some of the more ridiculous ones. When they were all open, and Mick was wearing the pink fluffy hat that he had given Nora who insisted he put it on, Ava lit the candles on the cake. They sang, and as Nora blew out the candles, she wished that this was not a dream-that these people could become her true friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant for this to be totally happy but couldn't help that moment of doubt that Nora has.


	3. Exit 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Nora take a beach trip together and connect.

Ray and Nora were back in a rental car after Nate dropped them off in South Carolina. It was a beautiful day in late August. They had the windows open and Nora could feel the warm wind on her face as they drove down Highway 95.

They had the radio tuned to a current pop station. After spending so much time in the past, they wanted to learn a little about the present.

“What’s the next direction?” Ray asked Nora, who was navigating the trip.

“Take exit 22. Then take a left. That road will bring us all the way to the island.” They were spending three days on Hilton Head Island. Ray said it would be nice to “get away from it all” and Nora couldn’t agree more.

She had never been to the ocean, even when she was little. Her summers had been spent at camp, but not the fun kind. Her mother always wanted her to keep learning, and her camp was basically summer school in the woods. On weekends, they did get to swim in the lake. That was Nora’s favorite part. She couldn’t wait to get back in the water.

They stopped at the island real estate agents’ office and picked up their keys. Nora loved their rental house as soon as she saw it. It was quaint, but perfect. Right on the beach, with a rooftop deck. It was better than she had imagined.

As soon as Ray unlocked the door, Nora ran inside to explore their getaway home. After he finished unpacking the car, they opened their back door and walked onto the beach. Nora ran to the ocean and put her feet in the water. She let out the giggles she could no longer contain-she was just too happy.

They changed into bathing suits, layered on the sunscreen, and spent the rest of the day on the beach. Nora was hesitant to swim at first; the rough waves were very intimidating. Ray jumped in a few times, showing her that as long as she was careful and confident, she could handle the water. Finally, she dove in with him, swimming out past where the waves broke. Here she was able to float on top of the water as it bobbed her up and down. She was weightless, floating, looking up at the sunny blue sky.

After a little while the tide changed, and the waves grew rougher. Nora was lost in her thoughts about the vastness of the ocean and didn’t see the large wave about to break right on her. She was suddenly pushed under the water, being held there by the powerful current. It knocked her around and she didn’t know which way was up. She was running out of air and starting to panic when she felt strong arms wrap around her and pull her back to the surface.

“Are you okay?” Ray asked with worry written all over his face. Nora coughed, getting the water out of her mouth. She took a few deep breaths and nodded. Once she was over the fear that came with almost downing, she realized that Ray was still holding onto her, keeping her above the water. She was aware of the arms touching her bare skin and how it made her feel tingly. She looked up and her eyes met Ray’s, feeling more fear now than when she was drowning.

While everything she had experienced since leaving prison was new and unknown to Nora, the way she felt about Ray was the most unfamiliar of all. She wasn’t ready to start worrying about that yet and so she told Ray she was done in the water. He let her go and swam next to her back to the shore.

They went back to the house and got cleaned up and changed for dinner. They went out to one of the restaurants on the island. Seafood was the specialty, and they enjoyed clams and crab cakes, paired with pasta and a bottle of white wine. As they shared chocolate lava cake, they watched the sunset. Nora couldn’t remember ever seeing something so beautiful. She never would have though the sky could have so many colors in it. She was amazed by this world she was finally a part of.

They spent the next day riding bikes up and down the island. Nora realized that the saying was true-she hadn’t ridden a bike in decades, yet she still knew how. They went to the lighthouse and climbed to the top to see the view. They visited the museums and Nora listened to Ray nerd out about the complexities of lifeforms under water.

They went out again for dinner that night. They were later than the night before, and the sun was setting while they ate their appetizers. This restaurant had a live band and open space for dancing. After they finished their dinner Ray stood and offered his hand to Nora. She looked at him, unsure of what was happening.

“Care to dance with me?” he asked. She nodded and took his hand as she stood. He placed his hands on her hips and she reached up to wrap hers around his neck. They swayed to the music, lost in their embrace. Their eyes met, and they saw the stars reflected in them. Nora hesitated for a moment before leaning up. She connected their lips, kissing him so quickly that neither of them were sure it actually happened.

The next song was faster and Ray twirled Nora all around the dance floor. They laughed and smiled and for this moment, nothing else mattered.

The final day on the island was another beach day. They built sand castles, Nora pouting when hers wouldn’t stay in any form that resembled a shape. Ray built a masterpiece which Nora gleefully ran through and knocked down. They swam for a while and warmed up by laying in the sun.

Sadly, it was time to leave the island and head back to the Waverider. They didn’t have to drive far to get to where Nate met them with the jump ship. They went back to their rooms and unpacked their bags. Nora took a shower and when she walked back to her room, she saw something on her bed that wasn’t there before. It was a picture of the two of them dancing under the stars. On the back was written “Exit 22-Hilton Head Island. Our first vacation.”

Nora smiled at the picture. She couldn’t believe this was all real. She taped the picture next to her bed. That night she fell asleep looking at the picture. Instead of the darkness that often filled her dreams, there was sunlight and sand and gentle waves.


	4. 21 Wins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ray leaves for a mission, how will Nora pass the time?

Nora was settling into life on the Waverider. Her room was right next to Ray’s, and it comforted her to know he was always so close to her. 

She knew that he was going to have to leave her to go on missions. While she understood, it still worried her. She couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt. Plus, she knew she would be left behind with a babysitter. While the legends seemed to forgive her and were being kind, they always saw her with Ray nearby. Would they act differently if he wasn’t there? 

The time came, and Ray was put on a mission. It was simple and could easily be handled by John, Sara, and Ray. 

Before leaving, Ray pulled Zari aside and asked, “Can you keep an eye on Nora while I’m gone?” 

“Of course, Ray-Ray,” she replied and lightly hit his shoulder. She walked away, saying something about snacks and video games. 

Ray went to Nora’s room and, seeing that the door was open, walked in. She was reading what appeared to be Mick’s latest story. 

“That any good?” he asked, pointing to the pages. 

Nora jumped, not having heard him come in. She stood from her chair and spun to face him. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She whisper shouted while smacking him in the chest. 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said sheepishly. Nora could tell he felt bad for scaring her and she decided to let him off the hook. “It’s ok,” she said with a smile. 

Nora sat down on her bed and Ray sat beside her, leaving room in between. “I have to go.” He started. “On a mission. I promise I won’t be gone long. If you need anything, you can ask Gideon or Zari.” 

She nodded to show she was listening and understood him. “Be careful,” she said quietly, but forcefully. She turned to look at him and he saw the seriousness in her eyes. 

“I will, Nora,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I promise to come back to you.” He stood, kissed the top of her head, and walked to the bridge to meet Sara and John. 

Nora tried passing time by reading more of Mick’s story, but it wasn’t holding her attention. Not when she was worrying about Ray out in the field, fighting monsters. 

After a short while Nora heard a knock. She turned and saw Zari leaning in her open doorway. 

“I’m bored,” said Z. “Wanna hang out?” 

“Did Ray put you up to this?” 

“Technically yes, but I really am bored. I could teach you some video games if you want.” 

“Sure,” Nora said with a shy smile. 

They walked to where Zari had set up multiple video games and bowls of snack foods. Zari taught Nora the basics of one of her favorite games, and they spent the next two hours competing. 

The mission went off without a problem for once. Ray went straight to Nora’s room expecting to find her there, but it was empty. He checked the kitchen and library before finally finding her in Zari’s room. Both of them were concentrating on the screen, violently pressing the buttons on their controllers. 

“Ha!” Nora shouted. “I win!” 

“Yea, beginners luck,” Zari muttered grumpily. 

“I’ve beaten you 21 times. No way that’s luck,” she said, looking rather smug. 

Upon seeing Zari’s expression start to turn from amused to annoyed, Ray decided it was time to intervene. “You girls have fun while we were gone?” 

Nora whipped her head around at the sound of his voice. She was not only relieved, but happy to see Ray. She ran over and wrapped her arms around him. Ray held her close and rested his chin on her head, assuring her that he was really there and unharmed. 

Ray looked over Nora’s head and met Zari’s eyes. “Thank you” he mouthed to her. It had been nice to walk in and see Nora happily playing games. He could get used to this bubbly, joking Nora, and fully intended to do all in his power to help her stay that way.


	5. Soup Batch #20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora tries to cook, and gets help from her friends.

Nora knew that Gideon could make any food that she wanted. She knew this and yet, today, she wanted to make it herself. Her first job hadn’t gone well. She was told she was a “witch” making “potions” for the guests at the fair. She must have taken that a bit too literally. Really it was all a miscommunication. Still, she remembered how she felt when her boss spit out the soup she had made. She wanted to prove herself-prove to herself- that she could learn new things. Specifically, that she could learn how to cook. 

She had printed out a recipe for chicken noodle soup, figuring she could start simple. She found that it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. She tried and tried again, asking Gideon to make more ingredients every time she started over. 

After numerous tries, Nora was ready to give up. Her chicken was either raw, or overcooked, her noodles would turn to mush, and she just couldn’t get the spices right. She didn’t realize how long she had been working on this project. Suddenly the room was filled with the team all gathering for dinner. 

“There you are!” Ray said. “I’ve been looking for you. Have you been in here all afternoon?” 

“I, uh, I’ve been making soup.” She said. “Here, try this one. I think maybe I got it right this time.” Ray ate a spoonful of the soup offered to him. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, he held back the grimace that wanted to spread across his face. He wasn’t entirely successful, and Nora turned away to start cleaning the kitchen. She was just no good at this. 

“I love soup,” Sara said. “Maybe I can help. Ava taught me a few ticks.” 

“I’ll cook the chicken for you,” Mick added, holding up his heat gun. 

The legends spent the next hour perfecting their pot of soup. They made sure to explain each step they were taking so Nora could remember for next time. 

The kitchen was filled with the smells of the spices and Nate ladled the soup into bowls. They all sat around the table and enjoyed the meal they had made together. 

“I have a question,” Charlie said. “Just how many times did you try to make this before we got here?” 

“I think 19,” she said sheepishly. 

“Well then twentieth time’s the charm," Sara added with a smile. 

Nora had learned more than one lesson that day. Not only had she learned how to cook, she also learned to ask for help. She didn’t have to figure this all out alone. She had friends who were there for her. Friends who were currently all gathered around the table joking and laughing with one another. This, Nora thought, is how a home should feel.


	6. 19 Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a day out with the girls, Nora comes home to find a sweet surprise.

On a particularly quiet day, the ladies of the legends decided to head back to 2018 and go shopping. While the fabricator made most of their clothing, they wanted to go out and have a day at the mall. They took their time walking into each store, choosing outfits for themselves and each other. They walked past the long line of parents waiting to have their children take pictures with Santa. They had lunch in the food court, watching the people who walked past them. 

They got back to the ship all carrying their bags of new clothes. As they split ways to go back to their own rooms Sara said, “Well ladies, this has been fun.” 

“It really has,” Zari said. “It was good to get off the ship for a day.” 

“Thanks for inviting me to come along,” Nora said. 

“Of course! You’re a part of the team now. Plus, I’m happy to see you bought some clothes in colors that aren’t black.” 

“Or grey,” added Zari. 

“You’re right, my wardrobe was a little plain. Thanks for helping me pick stuff out. I was never the best at shopping.” 

“We should do this again soon, have another girl’s day out.” Said Zari. 

“I agree with you there Z, but I do worry about what the boys get up to while we’re gone,” replied Sara. 

Nora got to her room and opened the door, still laughing at Sara’s remark. As soon as she walked in, she noticed something small and shiny on her desk. She picked it up and saw that it was a Hershey’s kiss. She looked up and saw another one on her pillow. For the next five minutes she looked all around her room, finding 16 more of the small chocolates. 

She heard a knock at the door and looked up. Ray was standing there and said “I see you found my surprise.” 

“You hid these here?” She asked with a smile. 

“I thought, since there’s 19 days until Christmas I would give you 19 kisses.” 

“But, I only found 18. Did I miss one?” 

“No, actually I uh, brought it with me.” Before he could chicken out, he leaned down and kissed her. He went to pull away and before Nora realized what she was doing, she laced her fingers through his hair and pulled his face to hers, kissing him passionately. 

They broke apart and Nora smiled shyly, looking down to hide the pink in her cheeks. Ray placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face so he could look her in the eyes. They didn't speak for a moment, but the looked they shared seemed to say everything. 

They spent the rest of the evening together. Ray left to make dinner while Nora started putting away her new clothes. She didn’t get very far, since she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss they shared, and everything it meant. 

After they ate dinner, they sat in Nora’s bed, talking and sharing the chocolate kisses, as well as a few more real ones. When it was almost midnight, Ray signed and said “It’s late, I think it’s time to go to bed.” He stood up and walked over to the door, Nora following. 

“Good night Nora,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her one more time. “Good night Ray.”


	7. 18 Holes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a simple night of team bonding.

“Alright team, that’s it. It’s time to have some fun!” Sara walked into the library yelling her announcement. She couldn’t believe just how down everyone seemed to be. Sure, there was the audit they were in the middle of, which was causing a number of issues and annoyances, but really things weren’t all that bad. Sara wanted to remind them of that. 

“What exactly do you mean by ‘fun’, love?” John asked, instantly suspicious. 

“Mini golfing!” Sara exclaimed. 

“No chance!” John replied. “It’s bad enough when families go and pretend they’re having fun. It’s just sad when it’s a bunch of grown adults.” 

“They’re not pretending to have fun. It is fun.” Ray said. “I always loved mini golfing.” 

“And you can’t exactly call us ‘grown adults’. We may look it but honestly, I don’t think any one of us actually fits that description. Not mentally,” Zari added. 

“Thank you, Z,” Sara replied. “I think. Anyway, get ready. Gideon is already on course.” 

Within minutes the Waverider was parked and cloaked and the team was walking off of the ship. They had landed in a small town in Maryland. It was a pleasant evening in mid-May. They paid the entrance fee, grabbed their balls and clubs, and headed to the course. 

While Zari went to start on the first hole, Ray looked over and Nora. He could tell that she was somewhat uncomfortable. He gave her a look and Nora knew that he was asking what was wrong. “I’ve never gone mini golfing,” she admitted. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not all that hard. Just watch the rest of us and you’ll see how its done.” As soon as he said this, Mick went to hit his ball. He put way too much strength behind the swing and the ball slammed into the curb and flew back towards them. “Ok, maybe on second thought, just watch how I do it.” 

Ray went and placed his ball on the ground. He angled himself and gently hit the it. Nora watched as it rolled down the green and stopped only inches away from the hole. He smiled at her and motioned her forward. She walked up and went to mirror his moves. 

“Here, let me help,” Ray said. He stood behind her and wrapped his hand over hers on the club. “Now just pull back a little bit and then swing it forward, gaining momentum as you go. But be careful. You don’t want too much power, as we saw in Mick’s example.” 

Nora was only half listening to his explanation, too aware of the way he was holding her-of how close he was to her. He guided their arms together to hit the ball, and it rolled right into the hole. 

“Yea, hole in one! Nice job Nora!” Sara said excitedly. They finished playing that hole and the group started walking, Nora and Ray trailing behind. “That was kind of fun,” Nora said. 

“I told you it would be,” Ray said, reaching down to hold her hand. “You should try it yourself on this hole. I’m sure you’ll do great even without help.” 

“Wait, what do you mean this hole? There’s more than one?” 

“Yea, there’s 18. Just one would be boring!” He leaned down for a quick kiss before hearing Zari call out “Ray! You’re turn!” 

The rest of the night passed without incident and in a surprising turn of events, John had actually won the game. They all returned their clubs and headed over to the snack bar to get ice cream. While they were there, Sara asked a nice mom to take their picture. When they got back to the Waverider she printed out copies for everyone. 

Nora took her picture and placed it on the wall, right next to the picture of her and Ray under the stars. Every time she looked at them, she felt peace and happiness. She loved the physical proof that she was a part of this wonderful, dysfunctional family.


	8. All 17 Episodes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and Ray take advantage of a day off to have a TV binge marathon.

Nora woke up bright and early and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. She saw Ray there finishing up his coffee. He heard her enter and turned to say, “Good morning!” She stood next to him and he wrapped an arm around her waist. She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. “Good morning,” she replied.

She went to the food fabricator to make breakfast and joined him at the table.

“It’s quiet today,” she stated. “Where is the rest of the team?”

“Sara’s at Ava’s, Nate is at the bureau, and the rest must still be sleeping. After you went to bed last night Sara told us we’d have the day off, so they must be taking advantage to catch up on sleep.”  


“So what do you plan to do with your free time?”  


“I thought maybe I’d work in the lab. Fix up the suit get a start on some other projects.”  


“That doesn’t sound like a day off. That sounds like work. When was the last time you just did nothing? Sat and read, or watched TV?”  


“I guess I really don’t do that. But there is that new show everyone’s been talking about. Though it’s already on the second season so it can’t be that new.”  


“What show?”  


“Stranger Things.”  


“Because your life isn’t strange enough,” Nora said teasingly.  


“C’mon, finish up and we’ll watch together! If we claim the library early enough the others should probably leave us alone.”  


Ray left the room to set up the library for their binge marathon. When she walked in, he had Netflix set up and was sitting on the couch. She went and sat next to him and he pressed play.  


Nora was suddenly aware of Ray sitting just on the other end of the sofa. She wished he were closer so that she could snuggle up to his side, but she wasn’t sure how to do that subtly. Luckily the show got creepy enough fast enough that she could move closer during the scary parts and it seemed like a natural reaction. By the end of the second episode Nora was right next to Ray, who had slid his arm around her shoulders.  


At some point during episode four, Nora had looked up to see Ray staring down at her. Without hesitation they brought their lips together. It was a slow kiss, full of passion and left Nora feeling butterflies in the pit of her stomach. They pulled back and Ray whispered, “I don’t want to go too fast.”  


Nora nodded to show she agreed. While she wanted him-could feel in her body that she wanted him- she also knew she wasn’t ready to go further. They turned their attention back to the show, now sitting as close as possible.  


The rest of the day passed in the same way. They became invested in the show and watched intently to see what would happen next. They paused only for bathroom breaks or to grab lunch, and later dinner.  


Each time they sat back on the couch they made sure they were right up against each other. After dinner, Ray draped a blanket on top of them. They started to nod off and Nora fell asleep during the last episode. When Sara returned to the ship, she found Nora sleeping on top of Ray and noticed how he was running his fingers through her hair soothingly.  


“Hey,” she said quietly to get his attention while not waking up Nora. “How was the day off?”  


“Good. We watched Stanger Things.”  


“All of it?”  


“Yea, all 17 episodes.”  


“Glad to see you made good use of your time,” Sara said jokingly.  


“I’d say it was pretty perfect,” Ray replied with a smile.  


Sara returned his smile before walking out. Ray yawned and turned off the TV. He adjusted his hold on Nora so he could pick her up without disturbing her sleep. He carefully maneuvered them off of the couch and carried her to her room. He laid her gently under the covers on her bed. As he pulled away, he felt a hand grip his arm and heard her whisper “Stay.” He hesitated for a moment before climbing in bed and laying next to her. She curled towards him and he held her in his arms as they both fell into a dreamless sleep.


	9. 16 Degrees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Nora visit a Winter Wonderland

It all started one night at dinner. The team was sitting around the table discussing all of their favorite holiday memories. Nora was happy to be able to share some of her own from her early years. She reminisced about decorating the Christmas tree with her family, and how her father always helped her put the star on top.  


One of Ray’s favorite parts of the holiday season was driving around and looking at all of the Christmas lights. Though people weren’t nearly as showy then as they are now, he loved seeing houses wrapped in strings of lights, all looking like perfect gingerbread houses.  


A few nights later Nora had all but forgotten that conversation. She and Ray were sitting in the lab, him working on a project and her reading a new book. Suddenly he hopped up and left the room. Since Nora was getting used to his behavior, she didn’t even stop reading to see where he was going. He walked beck in a couple of minutes later carrying a heavy coat, a hat, gloves, and a thick scarf. He was already wearing his own coat and had a backpack on one shoulder.  


Nora had stopped questioning what he was planning. She simply put on the warm layers he handed her and followed to the jumpship. The ride wasn’t long, and it was only minutes later that they touched down in a suburban Minnesota town in mid-December. Nora looked at the dashboard and saw the temperature readout at 16 degrees. She braced herself for the cold.  


As soon as the door opened, they were hit with the bitter cold. Nora wrapped her arms around herself trying to hold in warmth. She looked at Ray, ready to complain about how frozen she was, but then she saw the look on his face. He was practically glowing he was so excited. After all of the nice things he’s done for her she could keep quiet and suffer through the cold-so long as she doesn’t get frostbite.  


He took her hand in his and lead her to the lights she could already see a few streets away. They turned a corner and suddenly they entered a winter wonderland. All of the houses were adorned with bright lights and decorations on the lawns.  


They stopped in front of one of the houses where a light show was just beginning. Ray felt Nora start shivering. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her to try and keep her warm. “Do you want to leave?” He asked and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.  


She shook her head no. “This is magical,” she replied. “I want to see more.”  


They continued to explore until a particularly violent shiver went through Nora’s body. At that point Ray insisted it was time to go. They walked back to the jumpship, but he didn’t immediately fly it back to the Waverider. Instead he opened the backpack to reveal a thermos full of hot chocolate. He poured two cups and added whipped cream and caramel sauce to both.  


He plugged something into the routing system and sat next to Nora. The shipped, which was still cloaked, started to fly slowly above the town. They looked out the windows at all of the decorations. It was just as magical- maybe even more magical to see it this way. Ray and Nora curled into each other and sipped their hot chocolate. As they flew over the brightly lit streets, they shared a kiss. They could both tell that this was one of the many traditions they would start together.


	10. 15th Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora learns where Ray's other home is.

Nora woke up slowly one morning and became aware of her surroundings. She felt the arms wrapped around her and breathed in the smell she had started to associate with safety. She snuggled closer and he held her tighter.  


“I have something special I want to show you today,” Ray whispered.  


“Mmm, what’s that?”  


“You’ll have to wait and see.”  


“You, Ray Palmer, are full of surprises,” Nora said and looked up, opening her eyes for the first time that morning. Her eyes met Rays and they shared a kiss.  


A little while later they were dressed and ready to go. They once again traveled to 2018 but this time it was to Star City. They took a cab which dropped them off at one of the high rises in the city.  


“Hello, Dr. Palmer,” the doorman said as he opened the door of the building for them. Nora gave him a look that he didn’t see. He was too busy waving to some of the other people in the lobby.  


“Ray, where are exactly are we?”  


“We are at my apartment. Well technically it’s the lobby of my apartment building but this is where I live when I’m not on the Waverider.” They walked over to the elevators and once they got in Ray hit the button for floor 15.  


They got off once it reached his floor and he led her to a door at the end of the hall. As soon as he opened the door, Nora was amazed. The apartment was amazing. Big and open with a wall of windows that overlooked the city. There were gorgeous pieces of art on the walls and the furniture all went together, even though they the pieces didn’t all match exactly.  


“So, what do you think?” Ray asked.  


“I think you have a really lovely home.” Nora replied.  


“Home. I haven’t thought of it that way in a while. The Waverider is my home. This has just become a place to sleep when I’m in the city. But maybe that can change.” Ray reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Nora who opened it slowly and saw the key inside. She looked up at him, not understanding what he meant.  


“I know we’re on the ship most of the time but I thought maybe you’d like somewhere to stay on the days we have off.”  
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”  


“Well, only if you’d like. I mean we kind of already live together on the Waverider. But I understand if this is too far or too fast. Don’t feel obligated to say yes.”  


Nora didn’t say anything. Instead she stood on her toes, placed her hands on Ray’s face and pulled him down for a kiss.  


“Is that a yes then?” Ray asked after they broke apart.  


“Yes, of course I’ll move in with you.”  


They looked at each other and smiled before connecting their lips once more for a longer, more passionate kiss.


	11. 14 Stitches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission with the legends goes wrong.

After a few weeks of being on board the Waverider, Nora felt confident enough in her powers to join the team on missions. She had been on a few and they had gone well- about as well as any of the legend’s missions go. They got off track at some point, caused more chaos then there originally was, but they managed to fix everything in the end without dire results.  


Until one mission went unexpectedly wrong. Gideon was offline, and Zari had no idea how to fix her. Everyone else was fighting the creature. They hadn’t been able to find out much information before hand- due to their AI being down- and they were unaware that it could multiply. One minute they were fighting one creature and then suddenly, there were 12 surrounding them.  


The team fought hard, each trying to take down the monsters closest to them. Nora found herself trapped by 3 of them and was using her magic to fight them off. Everyone was so concentrated on what they were doing that no one saw the monster sneak up behind Nora. Before she knew what was happening, she was soaring through the sky.  


She hit the ground hard and felt a searing pain in her arm. John, who up until this point could send the monsters to hell one at a time, used the rage he felt at seeing Nora hurt to boost his magic. In a flash of light, he got rid of them all.  


Ray rushed to Nora’s side. She was conscious but groggy, and there was a large gash on her left arm. He lifted her gently and they all made there way back to the ship.  


“Gideon!” Ray shouted as they entered the medbay. There was no response. Zari met the team and asked what was happening.  


“Nora is hurt,” Nate replied. “She needs Gideon.”  


“I’m sorry, Gideon is still down, and I have no idea what’s wrong.”  


“Figure it out, Z!” Ray yelled.  


Zari looked at Sara. She had never before heard Ray yell.  


“Please keep trying to fix Gideon,” Sara answered.  


Zari left and Sara approached Ray.  


“She’s losing too much blood,” he stated. He looked at Sara and she saw the fear in his eyes.  


“She needs stitches.”  


“We’re no where near a doctor and the ship isn’t working. How is she supped to get stitches?”  


“I have a fair amount of experience with this. I’ve stitched myself up enough times, not to mention Nyssa and Oliver. I can do this. I promise.” As Sara said this, she laid her hand on Ray’s arm.  


He thought for a moment and looked at Nora. She was much to pale to wait and hope Zari could get Gideon working in time. He glanced at Sara, nodded, and moved to sit next to Nora, taking her hand in his.  


For the next few minutes there was tense silence. Sara numbed Nora’s arm and began stitching it. When she was done, she dressed and wrapped it. She cleaned up and gave Ray a short hug saying, “She’s going to be ok.” Then she walked out of the room.  


Ray was so absorbed in Nora that he hadn’t realized the room had emptied. A few minutes later Nora started to slowly open her eyes, groaning as she did so.  


“Hey, hey, you’re ok,” Ray said as he stoked the side of her face.  


“What happened?”  


“You got a pretty bad cut and Gideon isn’t working to Sara had to stitch you up before you lost too much blood. You got 14 stitches.”  


“Huh. I’ve never had stitches before. First time for everything I guess.”  


“How do you feel?”  


“Ok, but my arm’s sore. And my head is pounding. Can we turn down the lights in here?”  


“How about we go back to our room instead? You can rest there.”  


Nora nodded, to tired to do anything more. Ray helped her up and kept an arm wrapped around her waist until they made it back to their room. He tucked her in and slid in next to her. He held her tight as a reminder that she was there. She was with him, and she would be just fine. They were going to be just fine.


	12. 13 Puppies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Nora add a new member to their home.

Nora and Ray had begun splitting their time between the Waverider and their apartment in Star City. Ray had repeatedly told Nora it was her home too and she should feel free to decorate how she wanted. At first, she kept it exactly the same. Then slowly she started adding her own touches.  


Nora spent one morning shopping for the living room. She walked back into the apartment building, saying a quick hello to the doorman. She had promised Ray she would be home for lunch and was running a bit late. She took the elevator up and let herself into the apartment. She kicked off her shoes and placed her shopping bags by the front table.  


“Ray?” she called out.  


“In here!” he replied. She followed his shout to the bedroom. She stood outside the door and heard yipping noises.  


“Come in quickly and close the door. I don’t want them getting out.”  


“Don’t want who getting out?”  


“Just come in and see!”  


Nora did as he said, opening the door, sliding in and closing the door as fast as she could. She looked down and immediately understood the yipping noises.  


The room was full of puppies. Fluffy, adorable, little puppies of all different breeds.  


Nora looked at Ray who was sitting on the floor, splitting his attention between four puppies on his lap. She sat next to him and soon found herself covered in puppies as well. She giggled as they licked her face and nibbled on her fingers. Ray beamed- Nora giggling was one of his favorite sounds.  


They continued playing with the puppies and eventually Nora asked, "Ray, what are they all doing here?”  


“We’ve been talking about getting a puppy.”  


“Yes one. Not a dozen.”  


“Actually, there are 13 puppies. I wanted us to choose from a variety.”  


“Don’t people normally do that at a shelter?”  


“I wanted to be able to play with all of them. And let them see our home. So, I called a buddy of mine and he brought the shelter to us. We just have to decide which one we want.”  


“Wait. So we are definitely getting a dog?”  


“I’ve never had a pet. Unless you count the baby dominator I had for a few days. And people don’t normally count that. And I know you’ve always wanted a dog.”  


Nora moved to sit in Ray’s lap. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a deep kiss.  


“I love you,” she said.  


“I love you, too,” he replied.  


At that moment, one of the puppies climbed into Nora’s lap. The rest of them had scattered when Nora moved closer to Ray, but this one took the opportunity to be with both of them.  


They looked at the Australian Shepherd mix sitting with them and Nora said, “I think we found our dog.”  


Later that day, after Ray’s friend had picked up the other dogs and they and signed all the necessary paperwork, they were all sitting on the couch. They had chosen the name Gwen, after Queen Guinevere. They knew already just how spoiled their little girl was going to be.


	13. 12 Miles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and Ray hike the Loess Hills in Iowa.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Nora said as she looked up the mountain. The mountain Ray had somehow convinced her to climb.  


“It’s a perfect day for a hike!” Was his only response before leading the way to the start of the trail. It was mid-morning. They had to get an early start, as they had a long walk ahead of them. A 12 mile walk to be exact.  


They were spending the day at the Sylvan Runkel State Preserve in Iowa. Nora never spent too much time in nature growing up. Once she joined the cult, they kept her inside a majority of the time. Ray wasn’t super outdoorsy growing up either. He was interested in nature, but spent more time reading about it than exploring it.  


They started the hike strong, though Nora trailed behind at first. Ray’s enthusiasm and long legs pulled him forward faster than she was able to keep up with. At one point he spotted a caterpillar and went to point it out to Nora. When he turned around, he realized how far ahead he had gotten. From then on, he made sure to keep pace with her.  


Halfway through, after hiking 6 miles in 3 hours, they stopped for a picnic lunch. They had each packed lunch that morning, but not for themselves. They had packed each other’s in secret so it would be a surprise when they opened it.  


Ray looked in his to find a turkey sandwich, apple, and blue Gatorade. There were even two chocolate chip cookies in there. He rarely let himself have sugar but for today, he would let that slide. Nora opened her lunch and saw it contained a ham sandwich, a pear, her favorite salt and vinegar chips, and a red Gatorade. They laughed at how the lunches were nearly identical-just changed so slightly for each person’s preference.  


They sat down and enjoyed their food, as well as the view that surrounded them. This wasn’t a hike with a breathtaking overlook or sudden gorgeous view. Instead, the entire trial had its own subtle beauty. There were tall waving grasses, teaming with life. There were butterflies and birds of all kinds fluttering around them.  


They finished their lunch and started the second half of the journey. They walked hand in hand, and continued to point out different animals they saw, or patches of flowers they would suddenly appear in the sea of green grass.  


“So, what did you think?” Ray asked as they walked back to their car. “Was it as bad as you expected?”  


“No, not at all. Actually, it was beautiful.”  


“You’re right. There sure was a lot of beauty to see today,” Ray said, looking intently at Nora before leaning in for a kiss.


	14. 11 Roller Coaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Nora take a trip to Hershey Park and Ray has a very special surprise planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I talk about the Kissing Tower in this story and in case I don't explain it well, here's the link that shows what it is. http://www.hersheypark.com/explore-the-park/rides/kissing-tower/
> 
> Also, sorry this wasn't up yesterday but I wanted to spend time making this chapter right.

In keeping with the theme of trying new things, Ray and Nora planned a vacation for Hershey, Pennsylvania. Neither of them had been before and they were excited to go together. They booked a room at Hotel Hershey and were thrilled about two days of relaxation and rides. The timing for the trip could not have been more perfect. They had just finished a difficult mission that had taken a week, most of which Ray and Nora had to spend apart.  


When they got to Hershey, they drove straight to the park before checking in to the hotel. After showing their tickets, and entering through the main gate, they looked at the map to decide where to go first.  


“Oh! The Pioneer Frontier!” Ray said, pointing to a section on the map. “Let’s start there!”  


“How is it you’re still excited about that after spending time in the real pioneer days?” Nora asked.  


“Well, we can point out what they got right and what’s inaccurate.” After one glance at the incredulous look on Nora’s face, he continued on to say, “Just kidding. That’s where the trailblazer roller coaster is. I thought we’d start small and work out way up, and that’s one of the easier coasters in the park.”  


They walked hand in hand to the ride and joined the people waiting to get on. They had chosen to go to Hershey at the end of the season when most children were already back in school. This meant the lines were shorter-a definite plus when you’re trying to go on as many rides as possible in two days.  


After only a few minutes, it was their turn. They sat down in the ride and lowered the lap bar.  


“Oh this feels secure,” Nora said sarcastically.  


“Don’t worry, I did some research. Everything here is safe!”  


The workers came by to make sure they were secure and then the ride started. Ray was right in saying this was an easy ride. It has some speed and twists, but after spending years on a time ship (or months in Nora’s case) it was almost a little boring. They spent the rest of the day going from one ride to the next. Nora worried for Ray’s head when they went on the old wooden roller coasters. He was just so tall, and the beams looked like they were so low.  


They had dinner together in the park and as the sun started to set Ray suggested they go on the Kissing Tower. This was less a ride and more a gentle ascent to the top of a tower where there is a 360-degree view of the park and the town.  


They got on and Nora immediately noticed they were the only two people on the ride, aside from the worker. The speakers, which apparently normally announced information about the park and what they could see out the windows, were instead playing soft romantic music. They sat together on the bench and watched the scenery in front of them.  


When they reached the top the top and were 80 feet from the ground, Ray shifted so that he was kneeling on the floor.  


“Nora, from the moment I met you, I knew you were special. Even though our relationship started out pretty rough, I am so glad we were able to have another chance. These months we’ve spent together, working together to save time and having some special times of our own, have made me happier than I have been in years. Nora Darhk, will you continue to make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?”  


Nora was speechless for a moment, before answering “Yes. Yes Ray, of course I’ll marry you.” She nodded at him and saw him nod back before he slid the ring on her finger. They both stood and embraced, kissing then hugging each other.  


When the ride ended, and they were back on the ground, the worker handed a camera to Ray. She had filmed the proposal for them. Later that night, after they got back to the hotel and sipped champagne on the balcony, they watched the video. Nora thought Ray could not have chosen a more beautiful and perfect place. She looked first at the ring on her left hand, then at Ray. She never thought she would ever be this happy. She got up from her seat and went to sit on Ray’s lap, kissing him deeply.  
\---  


The next day they started early at the water park. They spent the morning on water slides and splashing around in the wave pool and lazy river. They went back to the hotel for lunch and after eating, they explored the gardens and the butterfly house. They went to chocolate world and learned how chocolate was made. At the end of the tour they were each given a chocolate kiss. They smiled to each other, remembering the time Ray had placed the same chocolates all around Nora’s room. That was the first of many nights where the two of them had stayed up way later than they meant to talking and getting to know each other.  


They spent the rest of the afternoon re-riding some of their favorite rides. They ended the trip by once again going on the Kissing Tower. As they sat together and looked out the windows, they knew they found a place that was very special to them. A place they would visit many times in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter should be up later today! Also, at first I described these stories as one-shots but I've been writing them as though they're one long, somewhat disconnected story. The next chapters will be going in order, telling the story of Ray and Nora post-engagement.


	15. Seat AA10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora has a special trip planned for Ray.

“I have a surprise,” Nora announced one morning at breakfast.  


“Do you?” Ray replied, smiling at her over that day’s newspaper.  


“I do. Make sure to dress for the 80’s today. 1980’s I mean. And dress up, we’re going somewhere nice.” With that, Nora cleaned up the dishes and walked away, leaving Ray to wonder what she had planned.  


Half an hour later they were both ready to go. They couldn’t help but laugh when they looked at each other. They definitely did not prefer the fashion of the 80’s, but the surprise Nora had planned could only be found during that time.  


They used the time stone to travel so that Ray would have no idea where they were doing until he was dropped in the middle of it. She made Ray close his eyes and then, with the time stone in her hand, held his hand and transported them to their destination.  


He opened his eyes to see all the buildings and lights of Times Square. He saw a date on a newspaper and learned that it was fall of 1985. He looked at Nora, smiling excitedly.  


“C’mon,” she said, leading him. “We have a short walk to where we’re going.”  


Ray followed her up Broadway until they turned down 51st street. When he saw the sign for the Gershwin Theater, his face lit up even more.  


“Oh my gosh. This is where Singin’ in the Rain was performed. And when! Are we? Are we seeing it?”  


“We are!” Nora looped her arm through Ray’s and they walked to the doors. She held out their tickets and they entered the theater. Once inside she handed Ray his, and he looked at the seat. Orchestra AA10.  


“I can’t believe this. We’re actually seeing my favorite musical on Broadway! And you got us front and center seats! This is amazing!” He leaned down and kissed Nora. “Thank you. This is the best surprise ever.”  


“I’m glad you’re happy. Let’s take our seats before the show starts.”  


They went into the theater and took their seats. Ray couldn’t stop looking around with eyes wide open. His level of excitement outmatched a child loose in a candy store.  


They sat and watched the show. When it was over, Ray still had the same goofy grin on his face. They went outside to wait by the stage door and met the cast and got their signatures on their playbills.  


They stayed in the city for dinner and Nora listened to Ray as he talked about all his favorite parts of the show.  


That night, they were in their bed on the Waverider, almost asleep. Nora felt Ray wrap his arms around her. He whispered, “Thank you so much for today. I love you.”  


“I love you too,” she said back and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. She pointed out the time to Ray. When they saw that it was 1:30am they couldn’t help but sing “Good Morning’” until they drifted off to sleep.


	16. 9 Ornaments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and Ray spend the day decorating for the holidays.

It was Christmastime and Ray and Nora were busy decorating the apartment for the holiday. They had put lights around the windrows and garland was wrapped around various surfaces. Now it was time for the tree.  


Ray insisted on having a real tree and spent most of the morning trimming the branches and wrapping the lights around it while Nora baked sugar cookies in the kitchen. They ate lunch together, had a couple of cookies, and then started to put ornaments on the tree.  


It was a rather slow process as they stopped and talked about each one. They went through the memories associated with them all.  
The first was a little diner and they remembered the first meal they shared after Nora was free. Next was the lighthouse they visited in Hilton Head Island. There were ones from Maryland and Minnesota, as well as Start City and Iowa. When they picked up the one from Hershey Park, they reminisced about the perfect days they spent there. Ray pulled out the ones they had gotten in Times Square. The final one they hung on the tree was a tiny replica of the Waverider.  


When the tree was all decorated, they sat together on the couch. The fireplace was on and snow was gently falling outside. Ray had made them both hot cocoa with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Quiet Christmas music was playing in the background. Ray and Nora were completely at peace.  


They spoke about their upcoming wedding and the plans they were making for it. They talked about the legends, and their missions, as well as the holiday party planned for the following week. They were hosting from their apartment this year and wanted to make sure everything was just right.  


They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Ray had his arm wrapped around Nora and she rested her head on his shoulder. This was the time of year to count blessings, and this year, Nora had too many to count.


	17. 8 Instruments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora tries new hobbies and learns new things with the support of her loving fiancee.

Nora knew she had missed the part of her life where she was supposed to figure out who she was. In the months after she was freed, she was trying to learn who she really was, without the influence of her dad and Mallus.  


She tried many hobbies in order to find which ones she enjoyed, and which weren’t for her. Some, she shared with Ray- like cooking and baking healthy treats. Others, she kept to herself.  


Like music.  


Nora always loved music. It was one of the few joys she was able to have with her during her time with the cult. Her ipod, full of her favorite songs, was a lifeline during that time.  


As much as she loved listening to music, she wished by could play it too. She sang along to the songs frequently and became quite a good singer. Her voice was her first instrument.  


But she wanted to learn more. The first one she tried was the bells. She figured it wouldn’t be so difficult, just hitting the right spot with the mallet. She picked it up fairly quickly but didn’t find it very exciting.  


She tried harmonica next. It was easy for her to learn which holes made which pitch, but she couldn’t get any of the little tricks.  


Trumpet and flute came next, but those didn’t feel right either. She asked Zari to help teach her violin but struggled with that as well.  


The final two she tried were piano and guitar. She liked learning the chords and finger placements for both. What she especially enjoyed about these two instruments was that she could sing while she played.  


One day, Nora was sitting at the piano when Ray came home. She had been in the process of learning Clair de Lune and was happy with her progress. Ray stopped and listened as soon as he walked through the front door. It sounded beautiful.  


Until she got to the middle where she always struggled. He heard the sour notes followed by the sound of hands smashing down multiple keys at once out of frustration.  


Ray rushed over and sat on the bench next to Nora, startling her as she hadn’t heard him come in. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and said, “That was beautiful.”  


Nora scoffed in reply.  


“I mean, that last part, I wonder why Debussy wrote it like that. Seems different from the rest of the song.”  


At that Nora chuckled. She could never stay upset for long- not when a literal Ray of sunshine was next to her. He kissed her temple and she turned to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips to her for a kiss.  


For the moment, music was forgotten.  


Later that evening they were laying in bed. Nora glanced to the side and saw her guitar propped against the wall. She jumped up and grabbed it before sitting back in the bed next to Ray.  


“I’ve been practicing this too,” she said before strumming the first chords on the song. As she started to sing Can’t Help Falling in Love, Ray truly fell deeper in love.


	18. 7 Minutes in Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John finds another use for his anti-aging potion.

The mission was supposed to be very simple. A vampire was going to attend a high school party and cause a massacre, killing all the attendees. Unfortunately, the cool teenagers had barred the uncool adults to enter, and the legends had to find a new way to gain their trust.  


Ray mentioned Camp Ogawa to Constantine, and the next thing Nora knew, she and Ray looked just like teenagers. She really didn’t know how they convinced her to take the potion but here they were.  


She and Ray went back to the party and were immediately welcomed. It was new and unknown to both of them. Ray hadn’t been invited to many parties-any parties-in high school. And Nora was possessed by a demon and kept locked away during that time in her life.  


They drank the cheap beer handed to them. They drank at the pace they were used to as adults but found themselves getting quite tipsy faster then usual. It seemed the bodies they were in had not built up any type of tolerance to alcohol yet.  


They were trying to keep an eye out for the magical fugitive while still playing the role of partying teenagers. And that’s how they found themselves in a circle ready to play 7 Minutes in Heaven.  


When it was Nora’s turn, Ray saw how uncomfortable she was at the thought of having to kiss any of the other people. He had one of the cuffs from the ATOM suit and somehow used it to make sure the bottle landed on him.  


The two of them stood up and walked into the room that was pointed out to them. It was a small bedroom.  


“I know what you did back there,” Nora said. "Thank you.”  


“Of course. There was no way I was letting one of those kids try and kiss you. I guess we’ll just wait in here until they come get us.”  


Nora bit her lip and looked at Ray. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him, to have his hands on her. She assumed it was all of the hormones in her body making her feel this way. But she figured, why not take advantage of the situation?  


She walked to Ray and kissed him. She pushed him back so that he was sitting on the bed and straddled his lap. She laced her hands through his hair and held him closer, kissing him deeply and passionately.  


His hands went to her waist and pulled her into him. Those teenage hormones were surging through his body too, after all.  


Soon, sooner than they expected, they heard a knocking noise. They pulled apart with an annoyed sigh and saw that the noise was not coming from the door. There was someone climbing in through the window.  


Ray turned his comm back on and said, “I uh, I think I found our fugitive.” He immediately blasted the creature and disoriented it. John and Zari came in through the window and took care of sending it back to hell.  


After that, Nora and Ray went back to the party. The other teens joked about how long they were gone for, but they didn’t care. The mission was complete, and they could let themselves have some fun. They stayed at the party a little longer before heading back to their room on the Waverider to finish what they had started.


	19. 6 Tolls of the Bell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray and Nora celebrate their love with their friends.

Nora stood in the back of the Church and listened as the bells tolled 6 times  


This was it.  


The doors opened, and Mona, Sara, Zari, and Ava walked down the aisle to stand opposite Nate, Mick, John and Gary. When the music changed, she looked up. She started the walk to the alter, looking and smiling shyly at their guests. When she was more than halfway down the aisle she looked straight ahead at Ray and saw the tears in his eyes.  


She stood with him and gripped his hands tightly.  


The priest began, they exchanged vows and rings, and sealed their love with a kiss.  


They walked out hand in hand and for just a moment they were alone.  


“I love you, my wife,” Ray whispered.  


“I love you, my husband,” Nora replied.  


They kissed and a moment later were interrupted for hugs and pictures.  


Finally, it was time for the reception. They made their entrance to grand applause from their loved ones. They danced to the same song they had first danced to under the stars in South Carolina. They kissed when urged to, smushed cake in each other’s faces, and listened to speeches that were both cringeworthy and heartfelt.  


After the formal reception ended, the party moved back to the hotel. Mona insisted on making vodka sodas for everyone, which ended up being mostly vodka. The guests started to dwindle out until only the legends remained.  


“A toast!” Sara said standing up. “Ray, I have known you for quite some time. I have seen you suffer heartbreak and I wondered why such a good person had to be hurt like that. But now I understand. It was because you had to wait and find the right person. And Nora is just right for you. Nora, I know we had a rocky start, but I am so glad Ray convinced us all to give you a second chance. I am so proud of how far you’ve come.” Sara raised her glass and the others followed her lead. “To Ray and Nora. May you continue to always find love and happiness in each other.”  


After the toast, the legends finished their drinks, and all went back to their own rooms. At 4am, Ray and Nora fell into bed and into each other’s arms  


The next morning was rough for everyone. To be honest, not many of them saw morning as they all slept past noon.  


They all ate lunch together. The legends then said goodbye to Ray and Nora before heading back to the Waverider. The happy couple was staying at the hotel another night before heading to their honeymoon.  


They spent the afternoon together, relaxing and repacking their bags.

That night, they went to dinner at a restaurant by the church. Shortly after they sat down, Nora heard the bells toll 6 times. She thought back to 24 hours before, when she was about to officially become one with the love of her life. 

She reached out to link hands with her husband, feeling happier than she ever thought possible.


	20. 5 Days in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and Ray have a fantastically peaceful honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting! Hoping to post a couple more chapters today and maybe catch up.

Nora couldn’t believe the view she was seeing. Sure, she had seen some pretty amazing places traveling all through time, but they had been ruined by Mallus’ presence. She never appreciated them. But now, she couldn’t look away.  


It was the first night of her and Ray’s honeymoon. They had been married two days and hadn’t left each other’s side in that time. They were standing on the balcony of their suite watching the sunset. The colors were more beautiful than anything she had ever seen. The water looked perfect and the trees swayed in the gentle breeze. Ray stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting on top of hers.  


They stayed this way until the sun had fully set. Ray gripped Nora’s hips tighter and leaned down to kiss her check, then pepper kisses down and up her neck. Nora closed her eyes turned in his arms to face him. She pulled his lips to her, kissing him passionately. They walked back into their hotel room, still attached to one another, and didn’t leave again that night.  


The next few days passed with relaxation and exploration on the island. They hiked up a volcano and went scuba diving. They laid out on the beach, trying to tan despite the spf 70 sunscreen they both applied. They went zip lining and to sunset dinner cruises and luaus. And each night they returned to their room and spend time with one another and no distractions.  


They were in the airport waiting for their flight back to Star City when Nora suddenly looked up from her book and turned to Ray.  
“Thank you,” she started. “I don’t say that nearly enough. Thank you for always believing in me. For seeing the good in me when no one else could. When I couldn’t even see it. You make me desire to be a better person every day. To do better and to help others. I don’t know where I would be without you, Ray Palmer.”  


Ray was taken aback by the intensity of her words. He slid an arm around her shoulders, placed a kiss to her temple, and replied, “I love you so much Nora Palmer.” They both smiled at that before Ray continued, “I always had hope that you would one day see the good and light in yourself that I saw. And now that you do, you are unstoppable. You are going to do amazing things.”  


“We will. We will do amazing things together.” Nora placed a kiss on his lips, and Mr. and Mrs. Palmer sat contentedly in the airport, with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts.


	21. 4 More Minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray tries to coax Nora out of bed.

Nora was not what you would call a morning person. Especially not since moving into the apartment with Ray. She was safe there and could let herself sleep deeply. She loved curling up under the covers. Most of the time, they didn’t have to get out of bed at a set time. They could get up when they wanted. But every now and then, they had plans, or had to get to the Waverider by a certain hour. Those days, Ray would wake up with the alarm clock, get up, and make coffee before trying to wake Nora. He would set the mugs on the bedside table, sit next to her, and gently shake her while saying, “Good morning Nora, it’s time to get up.”  


Nora would roll back over.  


Nora would pull the covers over her head.  


Nora would say, “5 more minutes.”  


Ray, ever the researcher, tried to teach her why going back to sleep is worse for her than getting right out of bed. He explained the sleep stages, internal clocks, and how the body gets confused. Finally, after enough badgering, Nora agreed to stop saying “5 more minutes”.  


On this particular morning, they had to report to the Waverider by 8am. They had a lot to do to get ready. The alarm clock rang at 6am and Ray groggily turned it off. Even he was a little slow to get up, since he and Nora had stayed up later than planned the night before.  


But still, he got out of bed, made the coffee, and walked back in the room to wake Nora. She sat on the bed, shook her shoulder and said, “Good morning sweetheart.”  


“No.” was all she said before rolling over.  


“I know, it’s early but we have to go. The team will be waiting for us.”  


“Just 4 more minutes,” Ray heard her mutter.  


“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asked, having not heard clearly due to the blanket covering her face.  


She moved the covers and said again, “Just 4 more minutes.”  


Ray laughed at that. Leave it to her to be stubborn but still follow their agreement. Ray let her stay in bed a little longer, since he zoned out while rubbing her back. His watch buzzed and suddenly he realized how late it was getting.  


He finally coaxed Nora out of bed. She tried to convince him that they should shower together to save time, but Ray knew they would end up taking much longer if they did that. Finally, they made it to the Waverider, second cups of coffee held in travel mugs. On that particular morning, no one looked well-rested.


End file.
